Applicants must be currently enrolled UWB students, have a 2.75 GPA, and express interest in the program content. Knowledge of Japanese is not required. For priority consideration, complete the online application, including a resume, transcript, and a one-page personal statement.

*This program is financially supported by Global Initiatives and a JASSO grant from the government of Japan.

Course Overview

This early fall course explores the lessons learned from the Japanese experience with nuclear power, starting with the path to Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August, 1945, and the subsequent development of nuclear power in Japan and around the world. It analyzes the broader concept of the nucleus and how it has dramatically altered our understanding of our place in the universe. The course also incorporates the cultural and social implications of nuclear power in Japan, as well as in the Pacific Northwest.

Japan is the only nation on Earth to have nuclear weapons used against its people during armed conflict. The bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which have a direct connection to the Pacific Northwest, stand as testaments to the destructive power of the nucleus, and as a warning about the potential catastrophe these weapons can cause on human society. In conjunction with its awesome destructive power, nuclear power plants are an effective solution to addressing the energy needs in many countries around the world.

A week of class meetings at UW Bothell (August 31-September 4) will be followed by almost three weeks of residence at Ehime University in Matsuyama, Japan (September 9-24), where students will participate in seminars, visit local cultural and historic sites, including Hiroshima Peace Park, and engage Japanese students and citizens on questions concerning nuclear power, energy policy, the response to last year's earthquake and tsunami, and prospects for the country's future. A wrap-up day of discussion will be held at UW Bothell following return from Japan.

Learning Objectives

Understand, at a level appropriate for a general audience, the development of nuclear physics and the creation of a nuclear weapon in World War II by the United States.

Understand the decision to use nuclear weapons on Japan by the United States, and the consequences of this action on Japan and the world.

Discover the wider nature of the nucleus, from the creation of the basic elements to nuclear energy.

Understand the political, social, and cultural perceptions of nuclear power in Japan and in other nations.

Deepen knowledge of national and local culture, language, society, and residents’ attitudes toward nuclear power through a two-week stay at Ehime University in Matsuyama.

Schedule

August 31-September 4: Class meetings at UW Bothell, 12-4 pm

September 3: All-day field trip to Hanford B-Reactor or tour of Japanese heritage sites in Seattle